<p> For your Hamlet essay 1) Choose your topic based on the prompt given to you on Monday. 2) Create a thesis statement. Remember, a thesis statement is an opinion, which can be argued. That means that you have to have an opinion about your topic. A thesis cannot be a fact, because facts don’t lend themselves to argument. A thesis statement is also called a claim or an argument.</p><p>Example: Here is a GOOD thesis: Hamlet was a coward. (This is not a fact—it is completely arguable. Many students won’t agree with this statement, so the statement is debatable.) Example: Here is a BAD thesis: Hamlet’s father was killed by his uncle. (This is a fact and doesn’t lend itself to further discussion. You cannot disprove this. It is not debatable.) More examples: GOOD: Cloning is a moral necessity. We have the opportunity to save lives by cloning body parts, which will not only prolong human life, but also enhance the quality of life; therefore, we must continue our research on cloning and implement a policy among the medical community to use cloning. It’s a moral imperative. (This thesis is completely debatable. Many oppose this idea, so it’s an argument that needs to be supported.) More examples: BAD: Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms. (This is all fact and doesn’t lend itself to opposition.) 3) Next, organize your essay. Create an outline or plan. Break up your essay response into paragraphs. For example, you will need an introductory paragraph, and then several body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. It may look like this: Paragraph 1: Introduction, which contains the thesis statement Paragraph 2: Body paragraph, which develops a topic related to the thesis, and is supported with quotes from the text. Paragraph 3: Body paragraph, which develops a topic related to the thesis, and is supported with quotes from the text. Paragraph 4: Body paragraph, which develops a topic related to the thesis, and is supported with quotes from the text. Paragraph 5: Concluding paragraph, which reaffirms the validity of the thesis statement AND/OR offers solutions or a final commentary on the argument discussed in your essay.</p><p>4) After you create an outline or organize your thoughts for your essay, you need to think of information from the text that will support your thesis/claim/argument. Support can come in any of these ways: references to key parts of the text, paraphrasing, or direct quotation. For this essay, I am specifically looking for quoted lines from the text that will support your claim. So, you will need to follow these guidelines for integrating quotes:</p><p>Use quotations to add authority to your paper. You are providing proof or support that what you are arguing is true. Once you’ve selected your supporting quotation, you need to “lead in” to your quote, so that the information flows easily and supports your idea. 1 According to Hamlet, “…conscience does make cowards of us all” (129). 2 “Get thee to a nunnery,” commands Hamlet, “Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” (131). </p><p>Use ellipsis (…) marks when you want to provide a partial quote, but not the entire thing.</p><p>If you begin your quotation in the middle of a sentence, or take words or phrases from the passage, you must use quotation marks, but you need not indicate deleted words with an ellipsis: 1 The “vacancy” that Hamlet looks on and holds “discourse” with, terrified his mother, who sees nothing (177). </p><p>For the MLA style of integrating quotes, when multiple authors are used, a quotation or paraphrase is immediately followed by only the author’s last name and page numbers enclosed in parentheses. Example: (Shakespeare 177).</p><p>HOWEVER, since we are only using ONE SOURCE, you need only provide the page number inside the parentheses. Example: (177). NOTE: a final period is placed AFTER the parentheses.</p><p>Quick Tip: You want to stay away from statements like “On page 24, the narrator says….” OR “In Chapter 3, this quote says….” </p><p>THREE TYPES OF QUOTE INTEGRATION: </p><p>1. Begin with explanation: Even though Gertrude’s allegiance to Claudius seems to remain solid until almost the end of the play, she does keep her word to Hamlet about his feigned insanity by maintaining that Hamlet is, “mad as the sea and wind when both contend/ which is the mightier” (189). </p><p>2. Begin with quote: “Bow, stubborn knees, and heart with strings of steel/ be soft as sinews of the newborn babe” reveals that Claudius is a complex character who years for salvation through prayer, but must force his reconciliation with God by telling his body to kneel. It is a sad reality for Claudius—he will not be saved. </p><p>3. Quote is inserted in the middle: Ophelia “hope[s] all will be well,” but this hope is in vain. NOTE: use a bracket [ ] if you change a word in the text to make your sentence make sense or if you add a word which is not in the original quote.</p><p>Original: “I hope all will be well” (233). Changed: She “hope[s] all will be well” (233). Original: “He shall recover his wits there” (247). Changed: “[Hamlet] shall recover his wits there” (247).</p>